Shooting game employing moving targets



Nov. 11, 1969 L. c. HORTA 3,477,722

SHOOTING GAME EMPLOYING MOVING TARGETS Filed Feb. 15, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I Q

Nov. 11, 1969 L. c. HORTA 3,477,722

SHOOTING GAME EMPLOYING MOVING TARGETS Filed Feb. 15, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 0.

SHOOTING GAME EMPLOYING MOVING TARGETS Luis Congost Horta, Iradier 6 bis, Barcelona, Spain Filed Feb. 15, 1967, Ser. No. 616,404 Claims priority, application Spain, Feb. 21, 1966, 323,344 Int. Cl. A63b 65/12; A631? 9/02 US. Cl. 273--101 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to improvements in shooting games with moving targets, in which the mechanical movements of their articulated parts are combined with the skill of the player, in order to hit the target with a projectile discharged at will, in which this projectile is recoverable so that it may be repeatedly utilized.

The improvements in question are characterized by the fact that they constitute a firing device coupled to a base and being enabled to revolve thereon within a field corresponding to the firing angle, which base, at its opposite end, serves as a support for a tower on which there is applied articulatedly an oscillating lever along which slides a spherical target, the said lever being connected with the firing device by means of a lower rod, so that a control rod, lodged in the base and revolving at a fixed point of the same, is coupled at one end to the first said rod and at the other to a pivot of the firing device which is able, by means of an elastic firing element, to discharge a projectile fitted with a posterior extremity for limiting its trajectory and return, all this in such a way that, when the firing device is displaced laterally, the control rod effects a change in the inclination of the lower rod of the lever, so that the latter undergoes tilting movement, with the consequent travel of the spherical target from one end to the other, during which travel the player has to actuate the firing element in order that the projectile may hit and knock down the said target, with the peculiarity that the movement of this latter takes place in a contrary direction to that described by the firing device.

The firing device consists of a cannon which receives the projectile and the firing element, and the framework of which forms a lower projection which is coupled to the base by means of an orifice in the same, the travel of the cannon being limited by a pivot which moves within a slot in an arc of the circumference of the base itself, and fitted with a posterior appendix in order to facilitate its movements in the players hand.

The firing element consists of an angular coil spring, one of the ends of which is fixed, while the other possesses a handle, so that this latter end determines, at the moment of firing, a percussion force against the projectile, the end itself being applied along a slot of the cannon with a retention groove for the loading position.

The projectile consists of a body in the form of a bullet, joined at the rear to a stick with a buffer at the opposite end, a helical spring being disposed around the stick and joined to the said buffer, the assembly being lodged in the barrel of the cannon, in such a way that "ice when the spring coincides with the interior projection of the barrel, it limits the displacement of the projectile and causes its return to the starting point by rebound against the projection in question.

Applied to the front part of the tower is a doll with an arm which is articulated and joined to a stick which is in turn articulated to the oscillating lever, so that the arm effects deflection in accordance with the movements of the lever, giving the impression that the latter moves by the impulse of the doll.

The toy can be made of any suitable material but is preferably made of a plastic material. The word plastic 1s used in the present specification to mean any suitable moldable synthetic plastic material of the thermoplastic or thermosetting type. As examples of thermoplastic materials which can be suitably used are cellulose acetate, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polyac-rylics, polyarnides etc. As examples of thermosetting plastic materials which can be suitably used are phenoplastics, aminoplasts and polyesters.

Other objects and characteristics of the invention will be made known in the course of the description which follows, reference being made to the appended illustrative drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 shows, in side elevation, the whole of the toy, with portions shown partially in section.

FIGURE 2 shows the guiding and retention slot of the firing element.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the base of the toy.

FIGURE 4 shows, in front elevation, the tower and oscillating lever of the toy.

FIGURE 5 shows an interior detail of the upper part of the tower, showing its coupling elements.

The toy consists essentially of a cannon I mounted on a base 2, a tower 3, a lever 4 with a moving target 5, a projectile 6 and actuating and accessory elements.

The cannon 1, made of a molded plastic material, possesses a framework 7 with a front barrel 8, posterior appendix 9, lower projection 10 and fixed lateral wheels 11.

The base 2, also made of plastic, forms an elongated platform 12, with a lateral flap 13, with an opening 14 adapted to receive the lower projection 10 of thecannon 1, in such a way that the cannon is normally secured and is able to revolve. An orifice 15 in an arc of circumference receives a lower pivot 16 of the cannon 1, in order to limit the angular travel of the cannon. A cross window 17 permits the passage of the actuating means of the oscillating lever 4, and orifices 18 are used for fixing the tower 3 to base 2.

The tower 3, also made of plastic, consists of two symmetrical pieces 19 and 20, with lower projections 21 for insertion in the orifices 18 of the base 2, these pieces being at the same time mutually connected by means of studs 22 which are received in perforated projections 23. In the uppermost part of the pieces 19 and 20, and in the interior, there are pivots 24 for the support of the oscillating lever 4.

The oscillating lever 4, made of a plastic material has a fiat surface 25, with lateral walls 26 and end projections' 27. The said lateral walls 26 have at the ends depressed planes 28. The articulation of the lever 4 with the tower 3 takes place by means of a central transverse tubular projection 29 provided in the lever, and into which penetrate the pivots 24 of the tower, permitting free tilting of the lever. Moreover, a central projection 30 with an orifice extends from the lower side of the said lever 4 to enable connection of the actuating means.

In the front part of the tower 3 there is placed a doll 31 with an arm 32 articulated and joined to a stick 33 which pivots freely on a handle 34 of the lever 4. This doll 31 is joined to the piece 19 of the tower by means of projections 35 introduced into the same by pressure.

The projectile 6 consists of a bullet 36, joined at the rear to a rod 37, at the rear end of which is fixed a buffer 38; around the stick 37 there is placed a helical spring 39 attached to the buffer 38. This projectile 6, in the inoperative position, is lodged in the portion 8a of the barrel 8 of the cannon 1, which presents in its interior an annular projection 40 which limits the advance when the spring l 39 is applied against it.

The actuating means consists of a firing element consisting of a helical spring 41, mounted on a transverse rod 42 provided in the interior of the framework 7 of the cannon 1, with one end retained by a buffer 43 and with the other end provided with a switch 44 operated manually; this latter end emerges from the framework 7 through a slot 45 which acts as its guide, the slot having a lateral groove 46 for retention of the switch 44 in the loading position.

A control rod 47 is pivotably supported by, a rivet 48 which is fixed to the base 2. The control rod 47 has a rear lever arm 47a which is short and ends in a fork 49 for receiving a projection 50 at the lower part of the cannon 1, and a front lever arm 47b which is long and has an eye 51 at its end; a lower buffer 52 limits possible downward inclinations of the rod 47.

A rigid rod 53 connects the control rod 47 with the oscillating lever 4 by being engaged respectively in the eye of the end 51 and in the central projection 30.

The operation of the toy is as follows. In the inoperative position, the bullet 36 is lodged in portion 8a of the barrel 8 and the buffer 38 abuts the vertical arm 41a of the helical spring 41. The firing device is loaded by moving the spring 41 backwardly by switch 44 until the arm 41a of the spring 41 is retained in lateral groove 46. When the firing spring 41 is released, it causes a percussion against the rear buffer 38 of the projectile 6, so that the projectile is impelled, but when the spring 39 reaches the projection 40, the projectile rebounds and returns to its starting point, whether the target has been hit or not.

When the cannon 1 is displaced laterally within its range of movement, this provokes a pivoting of the control rod 47, which in turn pivots the rod 53; this causes the lever to pivot and the spherical target 5 will roll in the opposite direction to that in which the cannon 1 is moved. At the moment the player thinks suitable, he operates the firing element to displace the projectile 6 which will knock the target 5 olf lever 4 if the operator is successful.

The lever 4 possesses the depressed planes 28 for delaying the start of the trajectory of the target 5, so that when the target moves it gains speed quickly.

The object of the doll 31 is to give the impression that hand operates the movements of the lever 4 to attempt to avoid the collision of the projectile 6 with the target 5.

What I claim is:

1. A shooting game comprising a base having opposite ends, a firing device pivotably connected to said base at one end thereof, a projectile adapted for being propelled by said firing device, a tower at the other end of the base, a lever mounted on the tower for tilting movement, a target slidable on said lever as the latter is tilted, and means coupling the firing device and the lever such that as the firing device is pivoted in one direction, the lever is tilted so as to cause the target to slide in the opposite direction.

2. A game as claimed in claim 1 comprising means in said firing device for retaining the projectile after firing thereof.

3. A game as claimed in claim 1 wherein said target is spherical and rolls on said lever as the latter is tilted.

4. A game as claimed in claim 1 wherein said firing device comprises a gun with spring-actuated trigger means, said base having an arcuate slot and said firing device comprising a depending projection slidable in said slot to control pivotal movement thereof and an appendix enabling manual engagement of the firing device for'pivotably moving the same.

5. A game as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means which couples the firing device and the lever comprises a rod coupled to said lever to pivot the same and a control rod pivotably connected to said base and having opposite ends respectively coupled to said firing device and the first said rod.

6. A game as claimed in claim 1 wherein said firing device comprises trigger means including a helical spring having one fixed end, and a manually operated switch on the other of the ends of the spring, said projectile including means resting on said other end of the spring, in a loaded position, for transmitting impulse to the projectile when the spring is released, said firing device being provided with a guide slot receiving said other end of the spring, said guide slot having a lateral retaining groove for holding said other end in said loaded position.

7. A game as claimed in claim 1 wherein said projectile includes a bullet member, a rod coupled to said bullet member and retained in said firing device, and spring means on said rod for limiting advance thereof from the firing means during a firing operation and for urging the rod to return towards its initial position before the firing operation.

8. A game as claimed in claim 1 comprising a doll-like figure mounted on said tower in facing relation with said firing device, said doll including a pivotable arm coupled to said lever to give the impression that the lever is tilted by said arm as the firing device is pivoted.

9. A game as claimed in claim 1 comprising means pivotably connecting the lever with said tower comprising a projection on said tower, and a depending projection on said lever having an orifice rotatably receiving the first said projection.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,388,910 6/1968 Horta 273101 509,601 11/1893 Kelly 273101 685,006 10/1901 Peck 273-101 714,770 12/1902' Zelch 273-101 1,324,189 12/1919 Bremer 273101.2

2,431,552 11/1947 Gosneu 273-101 X 2,526,369 10/ 1950 Kieselhorst 273l01 X FOREIGN PATENTS 12,118 1892 Great Britain.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner M. R. PAGE, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 273105.2 

